EA adds BioWare as full label, Moore and Gibeau in new roles

Two familiar names have stepped into new executive roles as EA adds a fourth label to its line up.

Former EA Sports head Peter Moore has been promoted to COO of the publisher, while Frank Gibeau, once EA Games boss, will now take up a new position as head of EA Labels.

Sub-label EA Interactive, which is made up of Playfish, Pogo, EA Mobile, Hasbro, online interests and shortly PopCap, also has a new boss, in Barry Cottle. Cottle has served as EA Mobile’s senior VP and general manager among other roles.

EA Labels itself is seeing a bit of a change up, with Mass Effect and Dragon Age developer BioWare making the jump from EA Games studio to a label in and of itself. It joins EA Games, EA Sports and EA Play.

Writing on the company’s news blog, CEO John Riccitiello said the changes are part of EA’s first restructuring since it formed the current label divisions in 2007.

“I think it’s a great reflection on EA that we are able to tap so much world-class leadership from within our own ranks. The depth of talent and leadership in this company is inspiring,” he commented.

“The people who succeed here are the ones who map their creative vision over a deep understanding of what our consumers want. Our Label structure reflects that strategy. It creates a close partnership between developers and product marketers that connects the creative process to our consumers.”

Riccitiello took the time to reflect on EA’s massive turn around since implementing the labels structure, commenting that the company is now “switching from defense to offense”.